The Next Chapter

Often, in our culture, being “somebody,” means being rich and famous. Or, at the very least, being very athletic, entertaining or talented. By those standards, I suppose most of us would be regarded as nobodies.

Unfortunately, we all fall into the trap of measuring other people’s worth through externals — focusing on superficial values. One example is an enormously popular web site that is devoted exclusively to the “net worth” of celebrities. The site’s editors boast that every day they “are cited or quoted in some major newspaper, magazine or television show around the world.” Among the many presumed points of interest on the site are articles about celebrities’ multi-million-dollar mansions, astronomical salaries of professional athletes, automobiles belonging to certain musicians that cost more than the average home, and other telling tidbits about the financial comings and goings of the rich and famous. The sad fact is there is nothing new or surprising about the fascination millions hold for this web site or others…